The first thing I went to work on was the interior. By the time it had made it to my buddy's shop the floors in the passenger area had already been coated with bed-liner and I had installed my Corbeau Baja Ultras. First I completely removed the stock gas tank and spare tire tub and laid down a piece of plate over the hole...

I decided to go with 4-point harnesses so I had a roll cage installed...

The next project was a front axle swap. Originally I wanted to put the WJ on 3/4 tons front and rear but having second thoughts about the associated cost I decided to go in a different direction. I figured with all the weight shed in the rear (lost the tank, skid, interior trim, back seat, etc.) the 44HD would be a sufficient axle. I looked for different front axles and eventually came up with a hair-brained scheme involving a Ram D44 w/ CAD (see if you can guess what it is)...

The axle is out of a 1998 Ram 1500 5.9L, fun how a rattle can makes anything look new...

Originally I was going to use 35's but funds were low so I decided to borrow the rims and tires from my YJ project. They are 37" military Goodyear MT's mounted on U.S. Wheel steelies...

Not going to lie, I was very surprised how wide this things stance was (full width axle sitting on 9" wide wheels with very little backspacing I don't know why I would be). The roll cage is definitely a moot point...

Nice work! I don't like the white wheels but I know they are temporary. How do you like the corbeau seats? That is something that is high on my modification list.

Haha Yeah, when I bolted them up and my friend said "If you don't paint those I will..." I painted the 2 up front graphite, I still need to paint the rears and spare. The Corbeaus are amazing, they keep you dead center even when the truck feels like its going over. The thing is they make the Ultra SS in two sizes, I don't think the larger one will fit in a WJ too well (I have the narrow model and the door panels push on them when closed). The narrow model holds me perfectly (I am 5'10" ~140lbs) but my friend thinks they are a little tight (he is 6'1" probably ~230lbs).

The CJ has been dominating my time recently but I am turning back to the WJ for a bit. Last night I ordered brackets to slip the Ford 9 under the rear. I currently have the parts to assemble the 3rd member laid out on the bench at home (this coming weekends project). I also ordered an extra tensioner pulley to make up a bypass for the missing AC compressor.

Going to say- it would be quite the project to sneak it by someone for a sticker in MA. You do all your work in Brighton? I am in Allston.

Haha I wish, the city buses ripping by making working on the street a little distracting. It failed inspection the way it was so "go big or go home" became the game plan. My father lets me use his garage out in Natick. Allston is pretty dense, where do you work on yours?

Pancake: Is that something you have done? I have looked at your build but I must have missed that... (too focused on the 5-spd haha)

Haha I wish, the city buses ripping by making working on the street a little distracting. It failed inspection the way it was so "go big or go home" became the game plan. My father lets me use his garage out in Natick. Allston is pretty dense, where do you work on yours?

Pancake: Is that something you have done? I have looked at your build but I must have missed that... (too focused on the 5-spd haha)

My buddy (CTeunuch) has a shop in Sudbury, no place to work on it where I live in Allston (right off of Harvard Street).